Cheap meal ingredients
If there happen to be leftovers, that meat and mozzarella and marinara make for a great sandwich the next day. Store-bought puff pastry and a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken are two very helpful shortcuts when it comes to this one-pot meal.
We also developed a soup version of chicken pot pie , just for fun. Giving chunky zucchini pieces a hard sear develops lots of texture and color while minimizing sogginess. The dilly sour cream provides a garlicky counterpart. When you need a weeknight-friendly recipe that doubles as a cheap dinner idea, stir-fry is the answer.
Is there ever a bad time for a quesadilla? This one is easy, cheesy, and a smart way to finish up that jar of kimchi hanging out in the fridge. Although we and most of our readers love the mixture of nutritional yeast , garlic powder, and onion powder on these vegan nuggets, one commenter was less impressed.
If you too crave something bolder, try the method with taco seasoning instead. The humble onion is given center stage in this cheap meal.
Seared, then gently roasted with paprika and tomato paste, these onions prove they have star quality. Transform a can of pumpkin purée into a near-instant pasta sauce—no slow cookers here— that delivers major fall feels. Bonus: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days.
With a generous layer of caramelized onions and plenty of sharp Gruyère cheese, this tart packs the depth of French onion soup into every bite.
The tofu in this cheap recipe absorbs all of the flavors in the sauce—and there are a lot of them: shallots, ginger, garlic, cumin, red chile, turmeric, coconut cream , and peanut butter. It all becomes a sauce you have to make and see to believe.
Crunchy fried onions transform a simple cabbage salad into a sensorial delight: hot and cold, crisp and soft, sweet and spicy. Make sure to assemble it just before eating in order to capture those different textures. When the coffers are dry and so is the bread on the counter, this is the one.
This cheap meal requires just a few other ingredients, most of which are already in your kitchen. A garlicky mixture of ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and maple syrup cooks down until almost sticky in this riff on a Chinese-American classic sesame chicken.
An untraditional but logical addition to the sauce: tahini. You might be surprised by just how flavorful a combination of chicken stock, celery, and chickpeas can be. Garlic, red chiles, lemon, and fresh cilantro contribute to making it so—while still keeping it feeling clean. If you can swing it, add a big pinch of asafetida for an extra savory note.
Quick-cooking, budget-friendly, and pretty hard to screw up that dark meat is automatically juicier , chicken thighs are our default weeknight dinner—and this is our simplest way to prepare them. These battered, oven-baked florets come out crackly before getting bathed in a sticky-sweet gochujang glaze.
It means you have croutons. Ground turkey is a lean protein that, when simmered with white beans, seasonings, and chipotle chiles in adobo and topped with Greek yogurt, delivers major body and richness.
The key to stress-free stir-frying is in the prep work. Be sure to chop, slice, and grate everything before even thinking about turning on the stove. Once you do, it comes together in 15 minutes. A little bit of flour and butter, garlic, lemon juice, and capers , and you've got a super savory supper.
Say that three times fast. This cheap recipe leaves out the smoked pork or turkey, which is typical in the American South, and goes heavy on garlic for flavor.
This all-star easy dinner recipe will work long after corn has gone out of season. In the winter, just sub in shaved cauliflower or torn kale. This soup packs in all the ingredients that would make your doctor happy—lentils, sweet potatoes, leafy greens—but the fiery Thai green curry paste keeps things interesting.
This Haitian meal consists of sos pwa nwa, black bean sauce enriched with coconut milk, served alongside mayi moulen, a creamy cornmeal porridge flavored with garlic and herbs. Nothing is cozier. This family-friendly weeknight dinner takes a cue from Japanese grilled chicken meatballs called tsukune as well as the glossy, sweet-and-sour sauce that comes with them.
A classic Italian pesto , this is not. Spinach, cilantro, and miso come together for this uber-green sauce, which dresses, of course, springy ramen noodles. The Smart Cook Linkbanner Make a Food Budget. Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich. Get This Recipe. Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton. Photo by David Loftus. Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Heather Greene, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou. Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson. Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow. Photo and Styling by Joseph De Leo. Photo by Kristin Teig. Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi.
How Big-Batch Cooking Will Help You Make Dinner and Breakfast and Lunch With Your Ingredient Stash. You might have more groceries in your house than ever before. Here's how to make the best use of everything you've got.
For the Very Best Black Beans, Use the Whole Can. Yep, liquid and all. Great quality doesn't always equal more money. They can be baked whole, chopped and roasted or added to soups, or of course mashed and grated too.
Eggs are an excellent source of lean protein, with 6 grams of protein and less than 2 grams of saturated fat in a hard boiled egg.
The best way to get a deal on eggs is to buy them in bulk. You can also use them to make a frittata, strata, in fried rice or in a sandwich.
Canned Tuna. Canned tuna is another great source of protein that can be purchased inexpensively or on sale. Albacore varieties tend to be somewhat more expensive, but some prefer the taste over light tuna.
Light skipjack varieties generally have lower levels of mercury than albacore; something to consider depending on how often you are eating tuna. You are also given the choice to buy canned tuna in water or in oil. Canned tuna in water has less calories and fat, although a majority of the oil in canned tuna provides healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Think beyond the tuna sandwich and add canned tuna to a pasta, casserole, or salad. Rotisserie Chicken. Buying rotisserie chicken on sale can feed your family for several meals and can be incorporated many different ways, from tacos to salads to sandwiches.
Rotisserie chicken is a great source of protein and key vitamins and minerals, but can also be high in sodium so be careful to eat it in moderation.
Tofu is a wonderful meatless source of protein and fiber and is much cheaper by the pound when compared to meats. Tofu is great in stir-fries, salads, or really any dish that you would normally add meat to. Keeping these 10 budget-friendly ingredients on hand will help you get healthy meals on the table without breaking the bank.
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In-season fresh fruits and vegetables Unfortunately, fresh fruits and vegetables, which tend to be among the healthiest foods for us, can also be the most costly ingredients. Beans Dried beans are inexpensive and are ideal for feeding large groups of people or for leftovers.
Canned tomatoes Purchasing tomatoes paste, crushed, or diced in a preserved form canned, tubed, or boxed can save you time, money and add flavor to lots of dishes. Grains and Pasta Grains such as rice, farro, and quinoa and dried pasta are easy to buy in bulk at a reduced price and can generally be stored for long periods of time.
Cheap ingredients that aren't beans/rice? Ask ECAH. I have enough rice Eating healthy on a cheap budget. Show more. M Members. Online boking.info › Recipes › Cooking from the Pantry Eating on a Budget · Brown Rice (or Other Whole Grains) · Canned Beans · Dried Spices · Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information